August 2016

SAMUI

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AUGUST 2016

Seafood Beach BBQ Buffet, Mondays & Thursdays Sareeraya Villas & Suites

Call + 66 (0) 77 914 333 www.sareeraya.com

Cool, Fresh, and Dreamy This is a great time of year to come – and fab food is everywhere!

Ahh – those picture postcard beaches, fringed with palms, and a deep blue sky with little fluffy clouds overhead. And the best thing about Samui is that there’s something for everyone. Chaweng is our busiest spot, full of nightlife, and the bustle of street stalls and markets. Lamai is more low-key and laid-back. And if it’s unspoiled isolation you want, then just head off to explore the south of the island.

This time of year is pleasant, too. The hottest season has passed, and you can look forward to lower temperatures with dappled sun and broken cloud. There’ll be some rain, but this usually passes in half an hour or so, leaving everywhere fresh and sparkling once again.

And if it’s your first time with us, then you’re probably looking forward to lots of tasty Thai food. But did you realise that, size for size, there are more restaurants on Samui than in New York? Yes of course, there are hundreds of Thai restaurants of all shapes and sizes. But our little island has the distinction of being a gourmet’s paradise. You’ll find cuisine from just about every nation, and many of our better restaurants boast 5-star fare and chefs with an international reputation. And the best thing of all? You can easily afford to eat out every night. Even the finest places will cost a fraction of what you’d pay back home. Enjoy!

SAMUI

SAMUI

Seafood Beach BBQ Buffet, Mondays & Thursdays

www.samuiholiday.com

FREE COPY

AUGUST 2016

Sareeraya Villas & Suites

Call + 66 (0) 77 914 333 www.sareeraya.com

Cool, Fresh, and Dreamy This is a great time of year to come – and fab food is everywhere!

Ahh – those picture postcard beaches, fringed with palms, and a deep blue sky with little fluffy clouds overhead. And the best thing about Samui is that there’s something for everyone. Chaweng is our busiest spot, full of nightlife, and the bustle of street stalls and markets. Lamai is more low-key and laid-back. And if it’s unspoiled isolation you want, then just head off to explore the south of the island.

This time of year is pleasant, too. The hottest season has passed, and you can look forward to lower temperatures with dappled sun and broken cloud. There’ll be some rain, but this usually passes in half an hour or so, leaving everywhere fresh and sparkling once again.

And if it’s your first time with us, then you’re probably looking forward to lots of tasty Thai food. But did you realise that, size for size, there are more restaurants on Samui than in New York? Yes of course, there are hundreds of Thai restaurants of all shapes and sizes. But our little island has the distinction of being a gourmet’s paradise. You’ll find cuisine from just about every nation, and many of our better restaurants boast 5-star fare and chefs with an international reputation. And the best thing of all? You can easily afford to eat out every night. Even the finest places will cost a fraction of what you’d pay back home. Enjoy!

Graeme Malley Editor

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Rob De Wet Feature Writer

Dimitri Waring Feature Writer

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Siam Map Company Ltd. 52/6, Samui Ring Road, Moo 3, Bo Phut, Samui, 84320 Thailand Tel: (66) 0 7742 2201 Fax: (66) 0 7741 3523 email: info@siammap.com www.siammap.com All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner is prohibited without written permission from Siam Map Company Ltd. Whilst every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this publication, Siam Map Company Ltd. assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. c Siam Map Company Ltd. 2016

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Maenam is renowned for its long, beautiful bay, and is one of the quieter spots on the island that never gets crowded, even in peak season. And just opened there this month, you'll find Khwan Beach Resort, half way along the bay. It offers absolute privacy along with some of the area’s most luxuriously appointed accommodation. And exactly as you'd expect with a resort of this calibre, the restaurant offers top-quality food and drink. If you're travelling by car, the resort is easy to find. Follow the ring-road from Chaweng to Maenam, and turn right just before the petrol station in the centre of town. Head down the small lane towards the sea and you'll come to signposts for the resort.

The restaurant here is simply known as MP, and is run by Swiss-trained Mattias Pawlik, who’s actually one of Khwan Beach Resort’s partners.

Born in Thailand, he went to live in Switzerland at the age of three, and as a young child fell in love with cooking, thanks to his mother. She made traditional Swiss food and he learned how to make the dishes himself. He wanted to know more and studied hospitality and cooking in Switzerland before going to Singapore to refine his skills. Afterwards he spent some eight years working as a chef in Switzerland, before continuing his work, first in the Maldives, then

A drink from Paradise...available on Earth

Located at Tesco Lotus Chaweng, Tesco Lotus Lamai and Central Festival 2 www.siamwininganddining.com

Chic et Charmant

MP Restaurant by Chef Mattias at Khwan Beach Resort Boutique & Gallery Pool Villas hits the ground running.

Singapore, Sydney, New York, Dubai and finally Hong Kong. But it was a good friend of his, Stephan Trepp, Executive Chef at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, who suggested he come and work in Thailand. It seemed like a good idea, and Mattias started as chef at Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa before opening the restaurant at Khwan Beach Resort.

The menu perfectly captures what nouvelle French cuisine is all about – and shows his flair for creating great tastes and adding innovative twists. If you look at the small details, you'll see just how much attention has gone into creating these dishes. Mattias offers medleys of tastes that are richly nuanced and pleasing to the palate, bursting with sheer goodness.

His style is top-of-the-range nouvelle French cuisine, infused with touches of Asian flavours, especially Japanese. It’s definitely not about miniscule portions on vast white plates – the food comes in satisfying amounts and it’s all mouth-watering. His designs document the culinary journeys that have come about as French gastronomy has headed eastwards, taking on board the exotic touches of the Orient.

To give you some idea of what’s on offer, the starters alone stand out for their mix of the traditional and the creative. The foie-gras here is an adorable combination of flambé apple, vanilla brioche, confit of capers and served along with a quail’s egg. Lobster, meanwhile comes with mint couscous, wasabi-flavoured yoghurt, lime butter and coriander espume.

The setting is very intimate; MP Restaurant is open-sided and caters to just over 30 diners at any one time. Small numbers means that Mattias can personally cater for all his guests’ wishes. So, if there’s anything you'd like, just let him know.

The waiting staff are all very welcoming, guaranteeing that your experience here will be a very enjoyable one. And incidentally, you can also see the food being prepared as the kitchen is open-plan.

Main courses are equally delectable. The choice is select with, for example, beef Wellington, accompanied by white truffles, mashed potatoes, lavender and garden carrots. The rack of lamb has Mattias’ own take, and comes with mousseline of peanut, ratatouille, chorizo and red wine cappuccino flavours. Fish is also on the menu, with a monkfish in Japanese mustard, galangal, bok choy and dill velouté and white snapper with some Thai-style touches, including tamarind and coriander.

Naturally, you can expect some scrumptious desserts, and they're as sophisticated and tasty as befits top French cuisine. Try the Tarte-Tatin with its cinnamon praline, blackberries and calvados, or the Crepe-Suzette, with orange syrup, vanilla ice-cream and a macaroon.

Mattias has carefully put together a select wine list allowing you to enjoy some great choices along with your food. There’s also a variety of cocktails and long drinks. In short, everything’s been done to make sure that you'll be captivated by dinner here and will want to return. All you have to do is remember to make a reservation, so as to avoid disappointment. By the way, since MP is a resort restaurant, you can also come for lunch or even just a snack – everyone’s welcome.

Khwan Beach Resort also offers weddings that are held right by the sea. The beach here is idyllic, with the sand shelving gently into the water and views out to Koh Pha-Ngan and the north of Samui. As a backdrop to wedding photos, the setting could hardly be better. The resort will deal with all your wishes and needs and will make your day a very happy and memorable one.

Needless to say, any reception that’s held here in the restaurant is guaranteed to be stellar; the

set-up is professional down to the last detail, and food and drink is sumptuous. The resort is able to cater for all kinds of weddings from simple elopements, where it’s just the couple, to large-scale events where lots of friends and family are invited. The style is similarly flexible and can be simple or formal, incorporating the theme that the couple have set their hearts on.

The resort naturally takes care of everything right down to all the tiny details. All you need to do in the first instance is to send the resort a simple email and the wedding planner will start to plan your special day for you.

good food. After you've made the dishes, then you'll be free to eat what you've made. You'll be surprised how good it all tastes – it’ll be professional standard. Mattias only offers the classes to small groups, so you'll have plenty of attention and expert tuition. As there's a lot to learn and practice during the classes, he’ll give you written recipes and instructions to take back home, as it’s only natural to forget some of the finer details. Mattias incidentally, is fluent in five languages, and extremely good at conveying ideas, so understanding the instructions will be very easy.

Mattias is also offering a cooking class, but it’s one with a difference. If you've spent any time on Samui you'll know that the vast majority of cooking classes here are Thai. This one’s different. Mattias teaches what he knows best: sophisticated French cuisine. It’s certainly the first of its kind on the island, so if you're thinking of making wonderful French dishes, then this is the only venue in which you can learn. How does it work? First of all, phone Mattias and discuss your requirements. The classes start round 2:00 pm or 3:00 pm, but he’s flexible about this. Once you've made the appointment, Mattias will look after you and you'll soon be learning how to make amazingly

With a chef of Mattias’ calibre at the helm, MP at Khwan Beach Resort is set to become acclaimed for seriously good French gastronomy. And with the hallmark creativity of the chef, the dishes that he presents are sure to please. Bon appétit!

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 945 941 199. www.khwanbeachresort.com

Romantic views, soothing sounds and classic Italian fare with a modern approach combine to please the most discerning diner.

Olivio - a must for visitors and locals alike.

Olivio ~ beachfront at Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort & Villas Chaweng Beach.

Free round trip transfer from Chaweng, Bophut and Choeng Mon. For reservation please call 0 7723 1500-8 www.siamwininganddining.com

3

Tropical Pick A closer look at the intriguing passion fruit.

How many fruits can you name? Unless you're a botanist, you probably won’t get beyond a few dozen. If you're an expert, then you'll be able to name many, many more – but you'll need to have a first-class memory for names. Why? Because there are thousands of fruits out there, and they're still being classified. There's a whole world waiting to be discovered. This month we focus on one that’s half familiar, but still quite obscure to many of us: the passion fruit.

You may think it’s hard to grow, as it seems to be quite hard to find this fruit. But it turns out not to be the case at all. “Passion fruit? We've been growing them for years,” says organic farmer, Cameron Hansen. “Right now we have lots and lots of them growing on vines. They're coming on very well. The ones we have are green rather than purple. They taste really good.”

Cameron and his wife, Khun Lat, have a lush farm right here on Samui, and have larger than average specimens. Growing the fruit is relatively easy to do and it’s adapted well to very different areas across the world, such as Australia, where it’s been growing since the 19th Century. Seeds from Australia were successfully grown in Hawaii, starting in 1880, with the vine becoming popular in people’s

gardens. You can also find it in Africa and in many parts of South-East Asia.

Over five hundred types of passion fruit exist; however, only two main types, purple and yellow are widely cultivated. The purple passion fruit is South American in origin and initially was found on the eastern side of the continent, all the way down from Brazil to Argentina. The yellow variant is more obscure and many think that it’s a native of the Amazon region. Passion fruit is so named because the fruit’s flowers reminded 16th Century Spanish missionaries arriving in South America of the passion and death of Christ; the corona of the flower looked to them like the crown of thorns on Christ’s head.

The purple passion fruit is subtropical and won’t do well in a climate that has frost. You'll find it growing in the US as far north as the San Francisco area. Here, the vines can lose some of their leaves if the winters are cold, but they generally thrive. The roots are very hardy, and even if the top of the plant dies, they can often resprout.

The yellow passion fruit is harder to grow in cooler climates, but both types need to be protected from extremes of heat and also from

the wind. You can grow them in containers or indoors, as long as they're adequately maintained. The passion fruit grows on climbing vines that are tenacious and can cling to just about anything. Once they get started, the vines can grow up to five metres per year.

However, they're short-lived and have a life span of between five and seven years.

By now you might be wondering how they taste, if you're not familiar with them. Remove the rind and you'll find a hollow filled with sacs that are brim-full with juicy pulp. They're both sweet and tart at the same time. The taste can vary considerably, but is usually musky and somewhat like a guava. The yellow type is usually larger than the purple, but the purple passion fruit isn’t so tart and is richer in flavour.

There’s also a higher proportion of juice, too.

Many hybrids between the purple and the yellow have been successfully cultivated, so now there's a wider range of colours, too. The vine grows quickly and starts to bear fruit in as little as a year.

Passion fruit not only tastes unique and wonderful, it’s also incredibly good for you. It’s packed full of goodness, and is a rich source of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and fibre.

About a quarter of the fruit pulp is fibre, so it’s

a rich source. It helps remove cholesterol from the body. It’s also a natural laxative and this means that carcinogenic substances don't have so much chance to settle in the colon, but get quickly washed out.

The fruit is also a rich source of vitamin C and as such firstly helps the body build up its resistance to flu-like conditions and also gets rid of harmful free radicals. Vitamin A is also found in the fruit, as well as compounds that have antioxidant properties. Foods rich in vitamin A are good for the skin and membranes, and if you eat passion fruit it’s thought you'll have greater protection against cancers of the mouth and lungs.

You can also enjoy passion fruit for the potassium it contains which in turn will help maintain the health of your body fluids and cells, as well as regulating your blood pressure and heart rate. You'll also find that eating passion fruit is a wonderful way to get iron, copper, magnesium and phosphorus into your body.

Passion fruit is fast becoming a supermarket staple, especially in the USA where it’s available year round. In other countries it may only be a seasonal product. If you're looking to buy, then

Are you ready for a brand new dining experience?

Join us at RockPool, Kanda Residences' spectacular beachfront restaurant and bar situated just 5 minutes from Chaweng.

Daily happy hour with buy one get one free on selected drinks from 2pm until 7pm.

For reservations or more information call +66 77 234 500 www.rockpoolsamui.com Facebook: rockpool.kohsamui 4 www.siamwininganddining.com

aim for passion fruits that are ripe and heavy.

These are the best ones. But don't be put off by wrinkles as this means that the fruit are even tastier (though they have more sugar in them).

Don’t worry about small cuts and spots that you'll sometimes see on the skin – they're literally only skin deep and won’t have any impact on the taste or quality of the fruit. But do avoid fruits that look over-ripe. You can keep the fruit for a couple of days in a basket in a cool and dark place, or for a week in a refrigerator. Most convenient of all, you can freeze the fruit by scooping out the juicy pulp and adding a little sugar before packaging.

The fruit is easy to prepare and eat. Wash simply, then dry using a soft cloth and then cut lengthways into halves. Now you're ready: using a spoon, scoop out the juicy pulp you find inside. The shell is completely inedible, by the way, so don't even attempt to eat this. But the only thing you really have to be careful about is becoming a convert to passion fruit if you live in an area where they're hard to obtain – like most passions, you may not want to do without them.

Dimitri Waring

Night Tripping Heading up the hill to explore the culinary delights of The Barge at Nora Buri.

The Barge appeared back in 2009, and even before it was finished, it was the talk of the island. The design was stunning and went on to win awards. It’s just a short way north of Chaweng Beach itself, as you head on the road towards neighbouring Choeng Mon. Built on a short but steep part of a rocky cliff, this wonderful wooden edifice descends down the cliff side in three tiers, effectively creating three floors and a roof terrace. The inspiration for the design was that of the wooden sailing barges of old. But this interpretation was fresh and modern, drawing on the feel of the thing rather than merely trying to portray some kind of big wooden boat.

The project was a part of the flagship resort for the Nora Group, which had previously created three other notable resorts in Chaweng, and at that time was in the process of fashioning the 5-star Nora Buri Resort & Spa. In fact this building isn’t actually ‘a restaurant’ – there are two restaurants here, together with a function room that takes up one entire level. The top floor is taken up by the very stylish and glass-walled Thai fine-dining restaurant, The Rice Barge. (You really need to go inside to fully appreciate the sculpted wooden design.) And the lowest of the floors, which cleverly extends outwards in layers and terraces and lawned areas spreading down onto the beach, serves as the resort’s all-day restaurant. This is the part that bursts into life at night with live music (in the high season) and several buffet theme nights – but more about these in just a moment!

The Rice Barge is one of the more refined Thai restaurants on the island, and an established attraction in its own right. Essentially there are two areas here – an inner air-conditioned room, with floor-to-ceiling glass on the sea-facing walls, and an outer terrace that’s completely open on three sides. Inside there are traditional Thai furnishings, with a choice of conventional dining tables or low tables and floor cushions. And that wonderful rich, warm wood is everywhere to be seen: the floors are of polished wood and the ceiling here is actually a complex wooden peak with patterns of beams and lattices that spiral upwards.

The menu is organised into the familiar sections of appetisers, salads, soups, noodle dishes and curries, with an extensive seafood section and also general Thai side-dishes, and desserts. And of special note is that all the seafood is brought-in fresh each day from local markets, and the selections of beef are imported prime cuts and not the often-found chewy local produce. If you are wondering where to go for a special Thai meal, then this restaurant is one of the leading contenders. The décor is picture-postcard perfect and all the food is carefully and artistically arranged and presented and often decorated with carved vegetables and fruits. And to cap it off there’s the gentle and soulful lilting of a live musician sitting cross-legged playing an antique ‘kim’ – a sort of bamboo xylophone. There are many, many Thai restaurants on Samui, but very few which emulate the opulence of the Royal Court. The Rice Barge is one of them.

(seasons and weather permitting) and there are several live cooking stations preparing seafood, steaks, kebabs or pad Thai exactly to your preference. The whole affair is a banquet and you can sit, talk, be entertained and refill your plate at your leisure, as many times as you wish over the course of the evening.

Downstairs, the chef in charge of western cuisine is Brendan Semmens, a creative and innovative cook who slants his offerings with a home-style approach and a French/Italian bias. He takes care of the general running of both the day and night-time menus, with once again the dishes being based on prime imported meat and fresh seafood. The pasta is home-made and the pizzas are to die for. There’s an extensive à la carte menu which ranges from simple daytime snacks, salads and sandwiches, right through to Brendan’s signature dish; ‘New Zealand cutlets medium-cooked, marinated in rosemary, home-made gnocchi, with a red-wine reduction and garnished with asparagus and young carrots’.

There’s a side line attraction, too – something unique. There’s a ‘freeflow’ drinks menu that’s based per hour. For 550 baht you can drink all the local beers you want for one hour. If you want access to beer, cocktails, spirits and mixers, its 650 baht. And for 850 baht you can add a choice of house wine to the list, too!

But, as superb as Brendan’s offerings are, the most-popular events here are the all-you-can-eat buffets, which have enjoyed an unparalleled reputation for a very long time, and are famous for their extensive spreads and lavishly varied selection of dishes. The lower area really lends itself to this, as the different decks and levels here are bathed in pools of warm light and filled with laden tables and gleaming stainless steel servers. The dining tables are artfully positioned within this area and down onto the beach

Every Monday it’s the ‘International Buffet’ with live cooking of several pastas and spaghetti Bolognese, and featuring those imported Australian beef, lamb chops and ribs, plus pork tenderloin, chicken breast and seafood skewers.

And on Wednesdays there’s ‘Polynesian Night’.

Although there are a huge variety of dishes on offer and plentiful seafood, the emphasis is more on Asian cuisine, and there’s also the added attraction of a fire dancing and juggling show.

And on both evening the usual à la carte menu is available should one of your group prefer that instead.

Finally, the cost of it all. This is a 5-star resort.

But the managers have done their utmost to keep the pricing accessible to all. It’s not expensive. And on the buffet evenings children under six years are free, and with the 6-12 year-olds coming in at half price. Whether you opt for the exclusive menu or prefer a lavish buffet, Nora Buri and The Barge is a ‘must do’ when it’s time to go night-tripping!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7791 3555. www.noraburiresort.com

Located in the beautiful Fisherman’s Village on Bophut Beach.

Our experienced chefs proudly present authentic Thai cuisine and Southern Thai dishes. Fresh seafood is a must with great quality at reasonable prices.

Enjoy the tranquility of the beach, the twinkling stars and the whispering waves along with the beautiful music. A superb dining experience and great memories.

Fisherman’s Village

Tel: 077 430 030, 077 245 035 www.kruabophut.com

Free Parking available at The

Wharf!!

www.siamwininganddining.com 5

Colourful Traveller The sweet potato crossed the Pacific long before Columbus did, and is celebrated throughout the tropics.

Next time someone asks you to go and pick up some potatoes, don’t think of complaining that it’s too far to the shops, or you just don’t have time. Instead just think of the ancient Polynesians. Why? Their shopping trip is worthy of the Guinness Book of Records; for them, nipping to the market was not to be lightly undertaken. Here’s how they got their potatoes, or in this case, sweet potatoes.

Firstly they constructed inordinately seaworthy boats, big double-hulled catamarans that needed to be impossible to capsize. This was because they had to cross the Pacific and get to South America. Even though they were skilled traders and explorers, they had little idea where they were going, or if they would ever get there – or even get back. It was a seriously long-haul trip: some 5,000 miles of inhospitable ocean.

Their enormously long journey was filled with maritime perils, but they completed their voyage and lived to tell the tale – at least to their families – as well as bringing back sweet potatoes. The vegetable took off in Polynesia and it became part of the regional diet – no more long journeys needed to be made.

Centuries were to pass before Captain James Cook anchored in Polynesia, in 1769, and picked up some of the sweet potatoes and brought them back home to Britain. They’ve since had their genetic blueprint established, and can be traced back to Ecuador and Peru.

6 www.siamwininganddining.com

In fact, all sweet potatoes can be; this is where they originated.

Meanwhile, archaeologists have carbon-dated prehistoric remains of sweet potato found in Polynesia itself, and have established that crops were growing on the islands as early as 1000 or 1100 AD. The two findings seem to show that sweet potatoes were introduced from South America to Polynesia an astonishing 1,000 years ago. Further clues bear this out: one of the Polynesian words for sweet potato is ‘kumala’, which is hardly a stone’s throw away linguistically from ‘kumara’, the Quechua name for the vegetable.

This suggests that the Polynesians and South Americans were trading with each other long, long ago – certainly hundreds of years before Columbus officially discovered America. The sweet potato was also introduced by the Polynesians to Asia, and then finally re-introduced by the Spanish and Portuguese as they crossed the globe from South America.

The vegetable’s certainly well-travelled and you can now find it far from its original source.

Sweet potatoes are cultivated throughout tropical and warm temperate regions wherever there is sufficient water to support their growth.

You can even find them growing in parts of Europe, notably Portugal.

Sweet potatoes spread from Polynesia to both China Japan, and the Philippines. In China,

following a crop failure in 1594, they were introduced to the province of Fujian. And then around 1735, the shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune welcomed them into his garden in Japan and grew them there – they eventually became a Japanese staple. They were soon introduced to Korea, where they also flourished. Not only are they delicious but they're dependable. Where to turn when your crops have been devastated by a typhoon? The sweet potato is the answer, and its hardiness explains why it’s so extensively found in the tropics. Indonesia, Vietnam, India, and other Asian countries are also large sweet potato growers.

The sweet potato is a bright orange vegetable, and unlike the potato, it’s not a tuber, but a root crop. The root swells and it’s the swelling that’s harvested, cooked and eaten. It’s prepared in a similar way to butternut squash, parsnips, swede and turnips.

The sweet potato, unlike the usual white potato, counts towards your 5-a-day because they are low in starch. They're also incredibly good for you. They’re a source of four crucial nutrients: vitamin C, thiamine, potassium and manganese, which collectively have many health benefits. A large sweet potato contains more than 70% of our daily recommended intake of vitamin C. When it comes to bone health, manganese is very important, and it also protects us from the damage caused by stress. Thiamine is one of the B-vitamins that promote the wellbeing of our

nervous system and also our hearts. Potassium regulates the contraction of our muscles and helps our blood pressure to stay within normal limits.

over kitchen coals and then eat with yoghurt.

Elsewhere in India dried sweet potato is turned into flour which is then mixed with wheat flour to produce chapattis.

Nutrition aside, the great advantage of sweet potatoes is their sheer easiness to prepare: you can mash them, roast them, boil them, sauté them, add them to a massaman curry – just about anything you can do with usual potatoes.

You can even make fries with them. On Samui you'll find them at every market and you'll have no difficulty in recognizing the mounds of swollen roots on display. They go particularly well with any curry that uses coconut milk and especially chicken. They're also found in many recipes involving peanuts.

In Japan, where the sweet potato is known as ‘satsuma-imo’, it’s simply boiled or steamed and then eaten. The Japanese also bake it into a sweet dessert. Perhaps the most unusual use is to make shōchū, a Japanese spirit normally made from the fermentation of rice, but which can also be made from sweet potato. In the 1990’s Japan’s most long-lived citizen, at 104 years old, ascribed part of the reason for his abundant longevity to the spirit. (His doctors meanwhile disagreed and were begging him to at least cut down on his alarming daily consumption.)

Throughout the tropics, recipes involving sweet potatoes are legion, and very different from each other. Sun-dried and crushed roots make for a staple breakfast for Ugandans and are eaten with peanut sauce, while the root, baked in earth, provides a snack to be eaten throughout the day. Sweet potato leaves meanwhile are eaten in West Africa, as they are very healthy. In Egypt sweet potato is sold from special carts with in-built ovens, and are also home-baked for desserts that are then lavishly topped with honey.

The sweet potato may make for a potent and even lethal spirit, but it’s more associated as a life-giver; its crops save many lives when other vegetables may fail. And those who eat sweet potatoes are doing their bodies a massive favour. It’s certain that the root was always destined to prove popular with farmers, governments and chefs, but it seems that those early Polynesian pioneers were the first people to bring them home and grow them.

In parts of India, sweet potato is popular during fasts due to its health properties. A common way to prepare them is to slow-roast the roots

Dimitri Waring

Degrees of Love

A look at one of the most romantic dining venues on the island – at Chaweng’s Baan Haad Ngam Resort.

Times change. Places, too. New ideas appear.

And probably the ground-breaker on Samui was the ‘signature restaurant’ concept. Hotels and resorts are different. Samui has beach resorts.

And while people would happily trot off across Bangkok to dine at a 5-star hotel, folks would feel shy about walking into an unknown beachside resort to do the same thing. So the first point to be made is that, today, outside guests are warmly welcome to visit any resort and enjoy their unique restaurant and cuisine.

And that goes for their cooking classes, too. The latest idea that’s taken root is ‘romantic dining on the beach’. But this is the odd one out.

You see – restaurants are all pretty similar, in that you sit down to eat some jolly good food.

Cooking classes? You need a couple of gas rings and a cheerful Thai chef who speaks English.

But romantic dining? Just think about it for a moment. Take Chaweng Beach, which is wide and mostly the sea is a long way away.

Hundreds of people go strolling there, day and night. Vendors of food, jewellery or souvenirs turn up every five minutes. And irritating promo boats keep cruising back and forth, yelling about the boxing stadium. Would you put a dining table out in the middle of all that if you wanted an intimate and romantic meal?

At which point we can talk about Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort, to use its full name. It’s a small and delightfully-pleasant boutique resort, right up at the northern end of Chaweng Beach, where the flat beach starts to run up against a rocky cliffside. Baan Haad Ngam is not a name that’s on everyone’s lips. And yet it’s one of the few design surprises on Samui. The resort’s to be found down a narrow descending cobbled side road. And, as you go down, the very atmosphere changes. It becomes Mediterranean, complete with its own little time warp. Even the resort itself is cunningly tucked away almost out of sight, rising shyly up away from the narrow street in tiers that do their best to blend into all the tropical greenery. Don’t be deceived; there are 50 luxuriously-appointed rooms and villas tucked away into its subtly-designed U-shape.

But, down here on the little street, you won’t realise that the other part of the resort is on the sea side. The only thing to be seen, at the side of the narrow entrance-way, is a small sign bearing the legend ‘Olivio’. This is, in fact, the resort’s signature restaurant. And it’s one of the longest-running and most-respected Italian dining-spots on the island. This is where, at the right time of year, the Italian people themselves go to eat. And this is due to the fact it was set up and run by an internationally-renowned Sicilian chef. The menu is biased towards southern Italian dishes that focus on seafood. The pasta is freshly made each day. And anyone ordering one of the superb pizzas can watch the pizza dough being made on the spot. Plus, of course, there’s an excellent range of Thai dishes, too.

However, it also possesses something which very few resorts can boast about, particularly those in the main part of Chaweng. It’s got a view. No, not a dull seascape which stretches all the way

across the horizon, with maybe a misty island or two in the far distance. A real, picture postcard scene, with a curving rocky headland just to the left and shallow water to the right, usually complete with picturesque little fishing boats.

And then further to the right is the sweep of Chaweng bay, which at night is a twinkling myriad of colour that shimmers off the water. It’s peaceful, it’s blissfully calm, and with a sky-full of stars overhead, it’s delightfully romantic.

Khun Yaya is Olivio’s restaurant manager. “The best thing about this part of the beach,” he explained, “is that it’s just so private. There’s hardly ever anyone walking past, even in the daytime. The other thing is that, unlike many other places, the sea here is only about 10 metres away. Everybody likes this. It makes it all so much more idyllic – if you wanted, we could even put the table right on the damp sand at the edge of the water!”

Certainly some thought has gone into all this.

Firstly there’s the tented pavilion that’s actually decked out with hanging bouquets of flowers, and they’re on the table, too, together with the candles. Even the chairs and table are more ‘floral’ than the ones in the restaurant, subtly padded and patterned. And then you’ll have your own private butler who’ll discreetly attend to you throughout your meal. And, talking of which, even this has been smoothly set into a choice of three options, each of them having four courses, and priced per couple. There’s the ‘Traditional Thai Set’, featuring a mains choice of king prawn or sea bass, an ‘Italian Set’ centring on Australian beef tenderloin, and a ‘European Set’ that has snow fish as the main course – and all of them include a glass of wine each and tea or coffee after the dessert. And the prices are reasonable, too, beginning at just 3,000 baht for the two of you.

“There’s another thing, too,” Khun Yaya continued. “We’ve often heard our own guests say that they’d love to go out to one place or another, but they don’t know where it is or how to get there. So we’ve made it easy for everyone.

If you are in the Chaweng or Choeng Mon areas, please book at least 24 hours in advance, and then we’ll come and pick you up from your resort and take you back again when you’re ready. It couldn’t be easier!”

And if you also bear in mind that there’s a 2-for-1 happy hour on cocktails and beers from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm, then you can also relax into a sunset aperitif before you dine. Love is what it’s all about and it should know no bounds. Don’t accept even one degree less than perfect – courtesy of Baan Haad Ngam and Olivio!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7723 1500. www.baanhaadngam.com

www.siamwininganddining.com 7

Thailand’s Greatest Recipes Make it yourself: beef massaman curry.

Who amongst us can resist a truly good curry?

The vastly popular and versatile dish takes on a myriad forms and tastes, uses a host of different ingredients, yet it’s always recognizable. Most of us tend to associate curry with just one country, India, but like the dish itself, its roots are vague.

Possibly the first curry was made in Mesopotamia, almost 4,000 years ago. It must have been a popular dish; soon people were making it not just in Asia but in far-flung places where its tastes would have been totally original.

Records show curries were being eaten in Britain in the 14th century.

states that massaman came from the south of the country where it was introduced by Arab traders who would have tied up at the ports along the coast. Either way, the origins are definitely Muslim, and this is borne out by the fact that traditionally the dish was never made with pork.

(Today you'll find pork massaman but it’s still far less common than beef or chicken.)

Curry not only travelled west, but also east. It’s quite popular even in Japan, but in Thailand, it’s a staple dish, and one of the most popular versions is massaman curry. Thai curries have over the years evolved until they scarcely resemble anything found elsewhere. Borrowed they may have been, but now they're unique to the country, and massaman’s no exception.

Massaman remains abidingly popular since it can be readily made thanks to pastes that are commercially available. You'll find them sold either in squidgy packets or in bright mounds at markets. For massaman curry paste the Thai expression to use is, ‘nam phrik kaeng matsaman’. The pastes give no real clue what goes into them and they can vary, sometimes dramatically. They usually contain turmeric, cinnamon, star anise, cumin, cloves and nutmeg – all of these available in Indonesia, by the way, bearing out the southern version of the origins of this curry. They also tend to contain palm sugar, fish sauce, chilli and tamarind sauce.

However, massaman’s lineage is all but untraceable. King Rama II wrote a poem about food, mentioning it at the beginning of the verses – it was certainly popular even then. But precisely how it arrived in Siam is hotly disputed. One theory holds it was brought via land from Persia, with an influential trader introducing it directly to the court. From there on the recipe would have been gradually disseminated to other provinces. Another theory

The basic way to make the dish is to add coconut milk to the paste and then add roasted peanuts or cashews and potatoes. If you can cook the dish slowly, then it’ll often taste better.

When I'm making massaman, I use a slow cooker, once the meat’s been browned. If using commercial packets bought in Thailand, the recipe on the back will often tell you to go ahead and use the whole packet. But since the paste is mostly destined for Thai users, the tastes

may be too fiery for you, so taste as you go along, or just use as little as half the packet.

For the more adventurous, you can make your own paste. The recipe below will make a jar, which you can keep refrigerated for up to three months. It’s quite easy to prepare and will take about 40 minutes. If you can make your own paste, you'll get a lot more kudos when you tell your guests you haven’t used a paste you bought in a supermarket. Most Thais, incidentally, never bother to make their own as it’s so readily available!

Ingredients for massaman curry paste 1. Up to 15 dried red chillies 2. 1 tbsp ground coriander seeds 3. 1 tsp ground cumin seeds 4. 1 ground-up stick cinnamon 5. 3 ground cloves 6. 5 ground peppercorns 7. 4 tbsp chopped garlic 8. 4 tbsp chopped shallots 9. 1 heaped tsp shrimp paste 10. 2 chopped sticks lemongrass, 11. 1 tsp chopped galangal root 12. 1 tsp fish sauce Method for making massaman curry paste 1. Start by soaking the chillies in water and then be sure to de-seed them.

2. Heat the spices in a pan (but don’t add any liquid) to bring out the flavours and then grind in a processor, or use a pestle and mortar, until

there’s a powdery substance.

3. Now combine with everything else and grind into a paste.

4. Spoon the paste into a clean jar.

Either way, once you're armed with either your very own massaman paste, or some you’ve bought at the market/supermarket, you are ready to make the curry.

Ingredients for beef massaman curry 1. 750 grams stewing beef 2. 2.5 cups coconut cream 3. 2 cups coconut milk 4. 3-4 tbsp curry paste 5. 500 grams potatoes or more 6. 1 cubed medium-sized onion 7. 1/4 cups peeled roasted peanuts or cashew nuts 8. 1-2 tsp toasted ground cumin 9. 4 tbsp tamarind extract 10. 1.5-2 tbsp fish sauce 11. 3 tbsp palm sugar 12. 5 toasted pods cardamom Instructions 1. Toast the cumin and cardamom.

2. Cube the beef and place in a frying pan and add some coconut milk and bring to a boil then simmer.

3. Separately fry curry paste in a saucepan with a cupful of coconut cream, stir, and little by little, add the coconut cream and milk. Add the tamarind extract, palm sugar and fish sauce and the cumin. As with most Thai cooking, this is not

an exact science, so taste as you go, adjusting amounts.

4. Once the beef has simmered long enough, place it in the saucepan. Now add potato, onion, roasted peanuts and cardamom and let simmer.

Keep tasting and let the sauce reduce to the desired amount – remember that massaman curry is often referred to a soup, so don’t let it dry out. The taste you're aiming for is creamy and sweet (from the coconut cream and palm sugar) and then sour (from the tamarind paste) and salty (from the massaman paste itself and the fish sauce).

5. Serve with rice or with roti or naan bread.

Don’t be surprised if this dish becomes a favourite in your household. And don’t be surprised if it tastes different each time. As you experiment with balancing the tastes, initially one or other of the flavours will tend to be off-kilter. This is normal. It’ll take many attempts to finesse your own version of massaman curry.

Anyone can make the dish, but to do it really well and then perfect it requires years. Once you're an expert, you'll be ready to go on to the next stage – to start handing the recipe down through the generations. Or put on YouTube, of course!

Natalie Hughes

Discover authentic

Indian Cuisine

Noori India Restaurant - Chaweng Center Chaweng Beach Road, opp. Chaweng Buri Noori India Restaurant - Chaweng South at Chaweng Cove Resort Noori India - Central Festival at Chaweng Beach Road Noori India Cooking Center - Chaweng South Soi Colibri, opp. Centara Grand Beach Resort For reservation (English) - 0 867 407 873 or 0 7741 3108 For reservation (Thai) - 0 813 960 283 E-mail: nooriindia_samui@yahoo.com www.nooriindiasamui.com

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Thai & International cuisine in Lipa Noi / Koh Samui Phone: +66 (0) 77 420 008 | samui@siamresidence.com | www.siamresidence.com

When Cuisine Gets Queasy A few tips for avoiding unhygienic restaurants and dishes.

The little café on Koh Tao seemed as popular as ever that day. It took a while to get the waiter’s attention, and when he was finally making his way over to me I thought he had on some kind of military t-shirt. He was weaving through the crowd and it was hard to make out what was emblazoned across his chest. I thought I made out the words ‘Death or Glory’ written on his chest, just above a drawing of what seemed to be a tank or some other boxy-looking vehicle. It was only when he was right in front of me that I got a clear view of the t-shirt and realized I’d made a mistake. His t-shirt wasn’t military. And that wasn’t a drawing of a tank that I’d seen. It was a tin of sardines, the top rolled back to reveal some very tightly-packed and very rotten fish. And the words above them? They weren’t Death or Glory. Something much worse: Death From Within.

“You want to order?” he asked, noting where my gaze was now locked. Trying to appear casual I asked for a green curry. I looked around after he’d gone. Had he been trying to warn us all?

Was there something wrong with the kitchen out back? In a classical response that psychologists tell us is all wrong; I looked for guidance from the other diners rather than thinking things through for myself. But they seemed calm and confident. Some, I saw, even laughed when they saw the t-shirt.

I got on with the green curry once it arrived. But the t-shirt’s message seemed to float in the air.

Eating is a serious business. It could make you very, very sick. Sure. Everyone knew that. So was eating out a sheer gamble? Was there a way to lessen the stakes? Above all, could you actually tell just by looking at a restaurant if it was going to cause you, just a few hours later, to be bent double over a toilet bowl and be driving, as they say, the porcelain bus? It set me thinking and finally to asking some questions down at the local hospital.

Khun Anne knows what she’s talking about when it comes to all the dangers from within.

She’s the initial contact for many of the patients who’ve fallen foul of restaurant food. Fluent in both Thai and English, she hears many stories from the patients. In addition she also has to type up their medical reports and contact their insurance company. Asked what causes upset stomachs, she says it’s bad food, bad water and poor restaurant hygiene. No surprises there. So, next question: is there any way to spot the bad restaurants before you even venture inside?

“That’s a tough question,” she replies. “You can never know for sure.” She goes on to say that some of the patients will have visited restaurants that appear very clean and above-board. She also points out what any doctor will corroborate: you

can never be sure if you've got food poisoning from a particular restaurant or not – unless you've only eaten in that one place and nowhere else. And how can you be sure that your food poisoning didn’t start before you went and ate there?

Many restaurants in Thailand have kitchens that are right out on the street. Perhaps they don't have much space inside, but the primary reason is that the clientele can see the level of cleanliness and can watch the cook making the dishes.

But does she have any tips? She has some suggestions, but admits they're rather vague. She advises that when checking out a restaurant, you take in the restaurant’s immediate surroundings.

What’s next to it? If it’s a filthy lane, for example, then it’s best to move on. Similarly – and this is a lot harder to judge – consider the water supply: it’s highly risky if waste water has a chance to mingle with other water, even water used for doing dishes. If you're suspicious, then eat elsewhere. Use all your senses, smell, especially.

Can you smell the drains outside the restaurant, for example?

Consider Samui’s night markets, more usually known as walking streets, which set up in residential areas and have access only to electricity and perhaps a scant supply of water.

It’s not so bad if what’s being cooked is done at a high heat – check out all the woks you see at the night markets. But what about lightly-cooked foods? It pays to beware. Only last week I chanced upon an oyster stall. The oysters were laid out on a bed of ice in the heat of the evening, their raw insides exposed, waiting to be bought. Hardly tempting. But that wasn’t all. A dog sat under the table and the vendor didn’t seem to mind at all, too busy chatting. Just behind her, there was an open drain. It smelled bad. The oysters? People were looking at them sideways.

Khun Anne goes on to say, as do almost all guide books, that you should see how many people are in the restaurant. Is it one that’s frequented by many? In a street of restaurants that are all busy, it pays to shy away from the one that’s near empty. For whatever reason, people don’t trust it. It pays to follow local wisdom. Maybe the food doesn’t taste so good.

Maybe it does, but the locals know of too many people who’ve become sick there.

It pays to heed doctors’ advice - the usual kind that you know already. Check your meat is cooked through. Is that chicken pink inside?

Does your food smell bad? And remember, too, what your parents told you: wash your hands before mealtimes. (Research shows that in US

schools, where children were made to wash their hands before meals, gastroenteritis was down by 75% compared to those schools had no hand-washing policy.)

But what does all this mean? Just one thing, really: there’s no way of knowing which restaurants might give you food-poisoning. All you can do is rely on what you sense of the places you eat in, and follow your intuition. In addition, the stronger your immune system is, the more likely you are to avoid upset stomachs or the like. It pays to keep fit, sleep well and eat and drink healthily – all this before you travel abroad and then set foot in the restaurants in your destination. And naturally, you have to be even more careful if those you're travelling with are either very young or very old, or if you have a compromised immune system or are pregnant.

In Thailand it’s not really a question of ‘death from within’ but more ‘unpleasantness from within’, so whatever you can do to avoid it will stand you in good stead. Should the worst happen and you start to experience diarrhoea and vomiting, then head for the nearest pharmacy or if it’s severe and/or doesn’t go away, then to a hospital where you can often resolve the problem with an out-patient visit.

Dimitri Waring

Authentic Middle-Eastern chic in a tropical paradise. Enjoy a cocktail or a cup of freshly brewed Turkish coffee on our spacious beachfront terrace or treat yourself to our chef's culinary delights while being entertained by belly dancing shows.

Reservation: 0 7743 0105 Open: 6.00 pm - 11.00 pm Beachfront at The Wharf, Fisherman's Village www.siamwininganddining.com

9

Tip Top Krua Exceptional food, service and prices – at the 5-star Krua Bophut.

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Thirty years ago, it was nothing more than a tiny strip of land along the beach, with a dozen or so old wooden houses and a rickety jetty. Today, Fisherman’s Village is a tantalising attraction of street stalls, high-end jewellery and souvenir shops, with others selling fashion-wear and clothing, lots of small hotels and boutique resorts, pubs, bars and every kind of restaurant imaginable, from food stalls and cheap and cheerful beach cafes to Indian and Italian eateries, right through to 5-star restaurants with a matching standard of cuisine and service. And that brings us to Krua Bophut.

Krua Bophut is a Thai restaurant – but with a difference. It’s just about right in the centre of the ‘village’, on the sea side, just a short way away from the landmark of The Wharf. It doesn’t stand out and grab your attention. In fact, if you didn’t know about it, you may well walk on past, tempted by the glossier facades and brighter lights of some of the more showy places. And that would be a pity. Because there are only two 5-star restaurants here on this strip, and Krua Bophut is one of them.

In many ways this can be a problem. You’re after souvenirs and bargains. You’re happy to spend a

few hundred baht on kebabs or a snack from a street stall, or even sit down for a break and a couple of burgers. But you aren’t interested in spending thousands of baht on a gourmet meal.

So let’s get this straight from the start. The staff at Krua Bophut are experienced and highly-trained, and they rotate between this restaurant and a nearby 5-star hotel. There are three 5-star chefs attached, and any of them able to take over the kitchen at the drop of a hat. The menu is Thai, but with a huge choice of fare. There is a wine cellar with more than 100 premium labels. There is seating outside on the sand – one of the very few restaurants that are able to offer this. The décor is intriguing, the ambiance sublime. But the prices have been deliberately tuned-down to match the location, and are hardly more expensive than the other restaurants in Fisherman’s Village and, indeed, actually cheaper than some.

It’s also good to know that there are two big parking areas. The first is the main car park of The Wharf; park-up, walk through, and turn right.

Krua Bophut is the first building you’ll see on the left, on the beach side. And there’s another exclusive car park directly opposite the restaurant. Walking in you’ll be greeted and shown to a table in the main air-conditioned body

of the restaurant. However, at this point you can opt to be seated on the outer terrace or, if you prefer, down on the beach, where there are 20 more tables.

The main restaurant is fascinating. Although the building is traditionally Thai, wooden, and with a high vaulted timber ceiling, it takes a few minutes for the hidden décor to sink in. Yes, there are certainly some antique glass-fronted cabinets with gold-leaf crockery inside. But then you’ll notice the retro 60s items that are dotted about. The old radios and clockwork pressed-tin toys, the wind-up phonograph, and faded posters from the ’30s. The antique clocks and collectables. It’s fascinating. And a cool and welcome change from the neon bustle and bounce of the road outside.

And so to the menu. It’s Thai, but with additions and variations, such as the ‘special’ which appears now and again – the 180-gram beef tenderloin which comes with a heated lava stone so you can cook it at the table to your own preference, for instance. (And there are other lava stone options, too.) But, whereas other Thai restaurants typically have around 30 dishes on offer, Krua Bophut has in excess of 120. Take something like chicken.

Here it’s offered with garlic-and-pepper-sauce, or

with tamarind sauce, or deep-fried with turmeric, or with one of several other options. You can even ask for it to be served as a stir-fry, if you wish. And it’s the same with the fish dishes. The usual small Thai eatery will always have red or white snapper, with the choice of grilled or steamed. But here you can order red or white snapper, barracuda, tuna, sea bass or shark, depending on what’s in season, and then have it cooked in any one of six different ways, all of which are itemised on the menu for you to choose from.

And lovers of seafood take note: the experienced F&B manager here, Khun Toy, very cleverly checks the occupancy of all the hotels in the area then, using these numbers as an indicator, orders exactly what fresh seafood she needs every day.

Each evening, outside the restaurant, there’s a display boat packed with ice and seafood. And at night it’s hygienically cleaned and scrubbed. If there’s any seafood left over then the staff get it.

It’s not re-used again the next day, as is the case with some other restaurants.

Although there’s that fully-optimised à la carte menu already mentioned, many diners here go for one of the several ‘set menus’. There’s a Set Thai Menu, with a choice of A or B, each having

four courses and with a choice of mains that includes deep fried prawns, roast duck curry, stir fried snapper or green curry with chicken. But this is Samui, and we’re an island. So the top of the pops is the Set Seafood Selection. There are actually three of these – and a photo-menu that covers the combinations of lobster, king prawns, crab, squid, and various fish, depending on the season. Plus any and all of these are available by themselves, by weight (à la carte), cooked in the way you prefer (BBQ, curried, stir-fried etc.) and in combination with your choice of vegetables, sides and sauces.

It sounds up-market, doesn’t it? Well it is! Krua Bophut is a 5-star restaurant. But don’t lose sight of what’s been said already. The prices here are deliberately much the same, or less even, than the other eateries on the main strip of Fisherman’s Village. And that’s what makes this restaurant tip-top by anybody’s standards!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7743 0030. www.kruabophut.com

www.siamwininganddining.com 11

Going Native Joining the locals at Ban Somtum.

Many people ask where good Thai food is to be found on Samui. And although that seems a strange question considering that we’re actually in Thailand, it can sometimes be difficult to find Thai food that’s close to its roots. A lot of restaurants over-cater for European tastes, while others let Thai food be upstaged by international foods. But it’s more difficult to find Thai food that focuses on just one of the regions, so we’re very happy today to present Ban Somtum, a wonderful find if you're looking for dishes from the north-east region of Thailand, Isaan.

The restaurant is located in the most traditional part of the island, in Nathon. It’s right on the coast road, just a few doors down from Win Hotel, as you head towards the piers. It’s easy to miss as you might be distracted by the sea view.

But once you’ve found it, you'll know you're in the right spot; this is a largish eatery with tables and chairs that extend way back to the end of the cavernous interior. Most of the cooking is done out at the front, so you have a good idea of what’s going on.

It may not look imposing from the outside, but once you’ve sat down and have chosen your meal, you're in for a real treat. You can eat here for as little as 60 Baht, but that’s hardly the point – this is all seriously good food and with a selection of dishes from Isaan, you'll be able to savour fare that you might not otherwise have the chance to try. If you prefer to eat just the usual and more general Thai dishes, that’s no problem, as there are many of them; the menu is very long and covers just about everything.

I only knew about this restaurant as our photographer, Khun Don, regularly eats here with his wife and family. But it’s popular with many local people, as well as the holidaymakers who chance upon it.

It’s run by friendly Khun Pen and her staff. When you try the food, you'll presume exactly as I did, that she’s been trained in a professional cooking school. This isn’t the case. She is completely self-taught. She was born in Thailand’s north-east and made her way to Samui, where she opened a restaurant in Maenam, some 16 years ago,

12 www.siamwininganddining.com

before moving to the present location ten years ago.

The restaurant overlooks the sea, and away in the distance you can see the jagged forms of the Angthong Marine Park, while all manner of boats criss-cross the waters. Outside under casuarinas and po-lad trees you can see people just sitting and relaxing. While I’m in the restaurant, I see a monk transcribing some writing for a child, while an old man pulls up a deckchair and settles down to read a book. It’s definitely old-style Samui despite all the cars and motorbikes beetling past. The diners here don’t even seem to notice – unless, says Khun Don, it’s sunset, which can be astonishing here with the sun going down directly across the sea and the islands.

But back to the food. Khun Pen brings out a plethora of dishes. She favours barbecuing over charcoal or frying food in a wok. You'll also hear the sound of a pestle grinding up spices in a mortar – the tastes of the food confirm that it’s made from scratch and often very traditional.

Favourite Isaan dishes here include something that might strike many a westerner as an aberration: fried fruit. You can have a salad where this is one of the ingredients. But make no mistake; this isn’t chunks of food dripping with oil. Instead, you'll find shoelace-thin strips of dry, crunchy fruit that’s easy to eat and tasty as well.

An anathema to some, who’re keen to eat very healthily, but look at what comes with it – a salad comprised of vegetables such as green beans, cabbage, lettuce and tomatoes, as well as that superfood, cashews. And that’s before you add in the plate of vegetables – an Isaan custom – that comes with every meal served here. If you’ve ever been wondering how to get your five-a-day of fruit and vegetables, then Ban Somtum will give you plenty of inspiration.

Above all, though, this is food that is mouth-watering – you'll simply enjoy eating it.

Khun Pen also brings us a bowl of soup that’s a little akin to tom yam but is a hearty broth of pork, laced with vegetables and which is quite spicy. She admits to holding back on the spices

when the dishes are ordered by westerners, as Isaan cuisine tends to be so hot and spicy. But just say the word and she’ll prepare your dishes to be as fiery as for Thai appetites.

Also on the menu you'll find ‘phak phat thot’, which is fried duck’s beak, ‘sai grok Issan’, pork and garlic sausage eaten with sticky rice and ‘nham see krong thot’, ribs prepared Isaan-style.

These are just some examples of Khun Pen’s regional dishes.

You can naturally have dishes such as massaman curry or sweet and sour pork or any of the more familiar dishes – there are pages of them. But even here there are some variations such as pork with Chinese wine and a fried cat fish salad. As we’ve said prices here are extremely good and you can order a feast here without having to worry. However, if you do wish to splurge out, then you can enjoy whole fish, such as snapper topped with sweet sauce or garlic pepper, or a steamed sea bass with plum pickles.

And while on the subject of fish, with the sea being just across the road, fish is guaranteed to be super-fresh. Khun Pen relies on a fishing team that she’s known for years to bring her the items she needs. They deliver it to her daily around 4:00 am. (Meat and vegetables are just as fresh – Khun Pen and her team buy in food daily.)

Her restaurant opens at 9:30 am, and she and her six staff will be here all day until 9:00 pm serving her guests a variety of food. Astonishingly, Khun Pen has no day off; her restaurant is open seven days a week.

With many dishes on offer, great tastes and a chance to try really mouth-watering Isaan food, Ban Somtum is highly recommended. And diners can be sure that they're being attended to by a wonderfully professional chef and her team.

Dimitri Waring

Coastal Cuisine Savour the sea while feasting on wonderful food at The Siam Residence Boutique Resort.

Situated on the west coast, with a backdrop of green hills, this Swiss-run resort provides a warm welcome to all its guests, whether they're staying here or just dropping in for food and drink. During the day, the serene beach that fronts the resort offers relaxation and shallow waters to paddle in, while in the evenings it becomes golden in the late, dusky light. Sunsets here are superb, and are enhanced by the photo-worthy backdrop of islands of the Angthong National Marine Park in the distance.

The resort is in one of the quietest parts of the island, well away from the busy towns.

The Siam Residence has a restaurant that overlooks the beach, and you can dine inside either of the two pavilions, or outside in a very spacious garden. It’s a particularly beautiful spot, with shade provided by various trees. As soon as you arrive at the restaurant you’ll feel a sense of calmness – it seems to pervade the entire area here. It’s definitely a place where you'll want to linger, and you're encouraged to do just that and take your time. You're also free to use the swimming pool, which is just adjacent to the restaurant. It’s ideal if you're here with children; you can keep an eye on them from the restaurant while they play.

Many guests like to come here precisely because of the family atmosphere. The Siam Residence is

a very friendly resort, where you'll feel valued by all the staff, and you'll quickly feel at home. This explains why so many people come back, year after year. The vibe is a laid-back one; this isn’t a starchy kind of place where guests feel they have to speak in hushed tones. Drop in for a drink, snack or meal and you'll see for yourself just how relaxing it is.

The fare is both Thai and International, and there’s plenty on offer all day, from breakfast onwards. The restaurant is known for its seafood; it gets all its fish fresh from the boats when they bring in their catch and you'll find lobster, prawns, red and white snapper, and squid on the menu. There are many ways in which you can opt to have your choice prepared: barbecued, sweet and sour, deep fried or with garlic and pepper, for example.

The Siam Residence has its own kid’s menu. It’s select but has been carefully put together to satisfy even fussy eaters. Start reading your children the menu and they'll be eager to make a choice well before you get to the end. Try Captain Sharky – crispy breaded fish fillet with French fries and mayonnaise, or King Kong’s Appetizer – a children’s version of a club sandwich with fried egg, ham, sausage and French fries, or a Woody Woodpecker – an Asian favourite of fried rice with vegetables and

chicken. There are desserts, too, naturally.

While children are enjoying fruit shakes or other drinks, adults may be rather more tempted by the fine selection of wines. These come from both the new and old worlds, and you can have wine by the glass, or a bottle. (If you can’t finish the bottle, you can have it set aside for you or take home with you.) Unusually for Samui you'll find also find a medley of Austrian wines on the list. While you're far away from the colder climes of Europe, what better than to indulge in a little nostalgia with the Bruendlmayer Zweigelt, with its dark cherry red colour that’ll put you in mind of an autumnal forest? Try it as a starter, or along with roast dishes. Staff can advise just which wines are best with your choice of food.

Happy Hour is from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, every day, and there’s a special food and drink menu just for the occasion, with cocktails and light bites. Enjoy your drinks in the garden; it’s an ideal way to watch the sun go down.

The chef here, Khun Lamyai, has been with The Siam Residence for well over 20 years, and knows how to make a full range of dishes. She also runs her own cooking class, and naturally you don't need to be a guest to participate. Just book a place by phone or email and you'll be able to learn how to make a trio of dishes. The

Siam Residence offers the class to individuals and couples, rather than small groups. This means you'll receive undivided attention from Khun Lamyai. And of course, you get to choose just which three dishes you'd like to make.

There’s a list of them to choose from, but if you have something special in mind, just discuss in advance with Khun Lamyai and she will do her best to accommodate you. Perhaps the best bit of the cooking class is when it’s actually finished: you get to eat what you've made, either in the restaurant or on the beach. Eat as you learn is definitely a fun way to improve on your cooking skills. Khun Lamyai, by the way, speaks good English, but resident manager, Mark Burkhardt, is on hand if you speak French or German and need an interpreter.

The Siam Residence also offers romantic dinners, and these are a real treat. Just reserve ahead and staff will decorate your table and surroundings.

Plenty of roses and other flowers are de rigueur, and best of all is that the dinner takes place right on the beach. Weather and tides permitting, there's even a white sandbank just a few metres out in the sea and you can enjoy your dinner here. There are various packages on offer (see the website or ring for details) and all of these include a free transfer from anywhere on the island. You'll arrive stress-free and then when it’s

time to go home, there are no worries about driving.

Should you want to get to The Siam Residence under your own steam, it’s quite easy to find.

Head for Lipa Noi, which is about half way down the west coast. If you're coming from Chaweng, drive through Nathon and then at the big junction two kilometres to the south turn towards the sea and head in the direction of Koh Samui Hospital. Turn left at the 7-Eleven and continue until you see the resort, just before an ornate temple gate. There’s parking just to the left of the resort entrance.

If you're planning on spending time in a quieter part of the island then the west and south coast provide plenty of tranquillity, but don’t leave the area without enjoying the food and drink at laid-back Siam Residence.

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7742 0008. www.siamresidence.com

Daily Theme Nights From 7pm.

Monday Classical Thai Night Buffet - THB 590 Tuesday Catch of the Day - from THB 250 Wednesday Italian Night Buffet - THB 490 Thursday Steak Supreme - from THB 300 Friday Beach BBQ Buffet featuring live music and a fire juggling show - THB 690 Saturday Surf & Turf - THB 790 Sunday Roast Chicken Sunday - THB 390 Daily Happy Hours at Beach Bar Buy 1 get 1 free beers and cocktails from 12pm - 2pm l 5pm - 7pm l 9pm - Midnight Sentinel Band Enjoy music from the Sentinel Band - Monday to Saturday from 7pm – 10pm Dining on the Beach Moonlight beach dining with your own private chef, from THB 1,500 per person

Chaweng Noi Beach For reservations please call: +66 77 448 994 www.impiana.com.my/hotel/impiana-resort-chaweng-noi-koh-samui/

www.siamwininganddining.com

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Superb Setting, Classical Chef From its panoramic hillside perch, Dr Frogs Bar and Grill offers a fine dining menu to match its amazing views.

Italian cuisine! Most people love it and on Samui it’s the second most popular cuisine after Thai.

There are some truly splendid Italian restaurants on the island, but alas also still some where visitors have to put up with default-quality pizzas, standard lasagnes and food, that well, just fills them up. There are still restaurants where cooks sling out food with mysterious melanges of ingredients. Listen quietly and you might just hear the thump of the freezer lid as another frozen product is taken out, or a microwave door opens (just how do you remove a bell from a microwave?). OK, all of this is still edible, but what about the price? It has to be cheap, right? Only sometimes.

paraphernalia or anything like it. The food is all bona fide, delicious and great value for money.

But it’s not the food you'll notice at first. It’s the view.

The really good chefs – and there are plenty of them on the island – know how to import quality foodstuffs at very reasonable prices and then cook with expertise. The results? Costs are kept down, while value is kept top-notch. But how can you work out where the best places are? If you do a little research you'll come across the island’s best Italian restaurants quite easily – the ones that manage to tick all the boxes.

You can see the entire bay of Chaweng from the restaurant, and it’s a beautiful sight at any time of the day or night. Blue seas and skies greet lunchtime diners while in the evening it’s all the tiny lights that dot and festoon the rocky coast in the distance.

One of the restaurants that consistently springs up – and has been doing so for quite some time now – is the quirkily-named Dr Frogs. (Few people know what’s behind that name and I am not one of them, so don’t ask.) It’s definitely not a theme restaurant where you'll find frog

14 www.siamwininganddining.com

Dr Frogs is literally in a niche of its own, high over the sea on the cliffs between Chaweng and Lamai. The ring-road winds its way up to the spot, and you'll see the sign for the restaurant just before the well-known viewpoint. That gives you an idea of how scenic it is. (If you're driving, there's a car park right outside the restaurant itself. Opening hours are from 7:00 am until midnight, with the kitchen closing at 11:00 pm.)

With this as a location, no doubt the restaurant could get away with one or two, or even a dozen, corners cut when it comes to the actual food. But here that’s not the case. This is food at its best. And that’s a lot to do with Dr Frogs having a classicist chef, Massimo Marianni. He was born and grew up in Milan, and from an early age has had a great love of cooking. Many people on the island know him and have eaten

his food as he’s been here for 14 years, first running Villa Bianca, before coming to Dr Frogs.

He’s a top-notch gastronome who delights in cooking classic and contemporary Italian food.

There are no absurd concoctions, and diners aren’t led astray by pointless novelties or ultimately doomed re-inventions. Massimo knows just what he’s doing and produces satisfyingly tasty dishes. There's sophistication in them, and even jaded foodies will be delighted.

It’s all good, in other words.

The à la carte menu concentrates on traditional Italian fare of the highest quality. There’s a wonderful array of delights such as the excellent Linguine Frutti di Mare – this consists of mixed local shellfish, tiger prawns and squid, prepared in a light tomato sauce with chilli and garlic.

Naturally Massimo makes his own pasta and you can try, to give just one example, Penne con Gamberetti, which consists of fresh shrimp and zucchini in red cream sauce, or the always popular Lasagne alla Bolognese, which is a traditional dish made with Bolognese ragu, parmesan and mozzarella.

Pizzas are excellent; expect thin-crust mouth-watering treats such as the Italian Sausage pizza which consists of homemade pork sausage, signature sauce, fresh basil, smoked scamorza cheese or the Vegetarian Delight with a topping of artichokes, roasted

aubergines, onion, roasted pepper, spinach, mushrooms, mozzarella, olives and garlic.

(There are incidentally a number of vegetarian dishes.) You can see the entire menu on the official website.

Dr Frogs is a great place for French oysters, and if you opt for a main course of seafood, you'll be served with a choice of French fries, mashed or sautéed potato or jasmine rice. If you choose meat, prime cuts will come served with French fries, mashed or sautéed potato. You'll find hearty dishes such as herb-roasted lamb tenderloin, Australian Fillet Steak, or Angus Beef Skewers. Many guests enjoy the Black Angus rib-eye with cheese fondue. No matter if you're eating fish, meat or vegetarian dishes, you'll find exactly the right wines to go with your food; there are 14 different house wines to choose from, as well as an extensive selection of wines by the bottle and champagne.

There's more to Dr Frogs than simply lunch and dinner, however. Recently, the restaurant’s owner built a small resort next door, Boujis Boutique Resort, and because of this, Dr Frogs is now offering gourmet breakfasts, which are available daily from 7:00 am until 11:00 am. A plethora of choices await, and you can feast on delights such as smoked salmon and scrambled eggs or the Dr Frogs breakfast itself: poached eggs with asparagus, olives, feta, rocket, polenta

and toast. If you're more traditionally-minded you might prefer the very tasty English or American breakfasts.

There’s live music too. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday you can enjoy the award-winning acoustic guitar player and singer, Oliver Jones. This is music that complements the atmosphere and adds to the evening.

The restaurant specializes in hosting events, such as birthdays, corporate gatherings and wedding receptions, and can cater for up to 100 guests for à la carte or sit-down meals.

Weddings are held at Boujis Boutique Resort right by the water in a very secluded ocean front setting.

Dr Frogs, with its view out over an idyllic tropical coast, and its dedicated Italian chef provides first-class dining all the way from breakfast through to a late dinner. And there’s everything in between, too!

Dimitri Waring For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7744 8505. www.drfrogssamui.com

Experience the very best in authentic Thai cuisine at Chef Chom’s Thai Restaurant at The Tongsai Bay Chef Chom's serves truly authentic Thai cuisine with an emphasis on local southern Thai cuisine. Wherever possible, ingredients are sourced locally and dishes are prepared from scratch.

This real Thai taste is the pride of the kitchen, and dishes are not 'watered down', the taste of Chef Chom's food is just the way Thais would have it.

Chef Chom’s is open daily for dinner from 7pm to 10pm. Tel: +66 (0) 77 245-480 www.tongsaibay.co.th

www.siamwininganddining.com

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Finger Lickin’ Good

Chicken is the mainstay of Thai cuisine, but the whole business is actually a lot more complex than it appears!

Take a look at any Thai menu. Forget about the sort of food it is; whether it’s curry or noodles or soup. Think about the ingredients. Not the little green ones, but the big chunks that were at one time running around. You’ll see chicken (gai).

Then pork (moo). Then there’s beef (neua). Plus you’ll also find fish (pla). And then quite often seafood (ahan talay), particularly along the coast, or on an island like Samui. And that’s about it. So now let’s dig a little deeper.

Even today, out of Thailand’s 67 million inhabitants, more than 40 million live in rural areas. Essentially this means farming. And around 85% of the farmers are deemed to work at subsistence level – Thailand is not a wealthy nation. However, if you were to be able to take a look at the state of play, say, 100 years ago, then you’d find that nearly everyone lived very simple lives and made their living from the land.

So now let’s think about livestock.

Pigs are big, need a lot of feeding, and it takes eight to ten months before you can slaughter them. Then there’s beef. If you’ve ever been out and about on the roads here, you won’t see any cows in the fields or at the sides of the road.

Buffaloes, yes. But to a farmer these are

valuable beasts of burden, too useful to be eaten – at least not until they get too old to work. And then the results of this will keep the whole family chewing for weeks – buffalo meat is tough enough anyway, and when it’s from an old beast it’s probably best-used to repair shoes with. Then there’s fish, of course, and that’s plentiful and cheap, even inland, as there are markets everywhere. And that leaves chickens.

It can’t be said of many other things, but it quite true to say that Thailand invented the chicken.

Today it’s the world’s most common bird, with estimates arriving at a total of more than 20 billion across the globe. But, somewhere back in the mists of time, Iron Age tribes migrating from the East took with them the Red Jungle Fowl.

And modern-day genetic analysis has proved that the distant ancestor of just one sub-species of this, the common chicken (gallus gallus domesticus), originated in Thailand and was the progenitor of all domesticated species worldwide.

The basic Thai farmyard chicken (usually known as ‘gai baan’, meaning ‘house chicken’) is more or less self-sufficient, takes up no space, eats all sorts of scraps, looks after itself, and it’s only 12

weeks or so before it’s ready for the pot. Plus there’s the added bonus of all the eggs, too, making it a kind of double-whammy. And so it’s hardly surprising that chickens are the most common source of protein in Thailand, cheap, plentiful, and readily available everywhere. The downside of this is that generally ‘gai baan’ are stringy and with not much meat on their bones.

Fine for a soup or a stew, but not the first choice if you’re looking to make big, chunky sandwiches.

But, because of this, there’s not much of it that doesn’t get eaten. Chicken feet (teen gai) is a hugely popular dish, deep-fried or in salads and soups. And the heart. And the liver. Even the neck is on the menu, deep-fried. But keep it in mind that we’re talking about the sort of eating that’s popular with rural communities – although even in the cities you’ll find a great many vendors on the street stalls and markets catering for the workers who’ve come down from the north. But how do restaurants fit into this? If you ask for Thai food at your hotel or resort, are you going to be served ‘gai baan’? Of course not! They’ll make sure you get the good stuff. But this is where we must go off at a tangent again.

Does it surprise you that it’s hard to find really good oranges in Seville? Or to come across top quality grapes in the shops of Capetown? I mean, this sort of produce is what the regions are famous for. But the truth is that, because of this, the best oranges or grapes are selected for export. And the same is true, although to a lesser extent, of chickens in Thailand. Thailand is one of the world’s largest producers of broiler chickens (chickens raised only for their meat), with an annual 600,000 tons exported all over the world, and with 350,000 tons of that earmarked for European markets alone. These birds are prime, well-fleshed, large and firm; premium poultry that’s produced cheaply and competitively, taking advantage of the low rates of pay that are common in Thailand. But the international digital broadsheet, ‘The Poultry Site’, reports that Thailand’s domestic market is still resistant to broiler-style pre-packed chickens, and 70% of consumer sales come via fresh chickens from traditional local markets.

None of which comes as much of a surprise. It’s simply Thailand continuing to do what the first-world is just re-discovering! There’s just no substitute for fresh produce, sourced locally, whether its chickens or gherkins, pork pies or

pimentos. Shrink-wrapping and freezing is out, and the whole ready meal genre has had its day.

But unlike many western nations where farm-fresh ‘organic’ produce now commands a premium price, in Thailand it’s just the opposite.

Here, just about everything’s organic! And thus it’s cheaper than the pre-packed or fast-food equivalent.

So, whether you’re sitting down to eat at a hotel restaurant or out looking for local colour, rest assured. You’ll be enjoying prime chicken that probably only yesterday was still going ‘cluck-cluck’. Well, unless you’re German, that is, in which case they went ‘gok-gok’. Across in Holland it’s ‘tok-tok’. And, somehow, French chickens come out with ‘cot-cot-codet’. But, seeing that it’s Samui, try this. Wave to your waiter, point to your chicken, flap your elbows, raise an eyebrow, then smile and say ‘gook-gook?’ Because that’s the noise they make, here in the Land of Smiles!

Rob De Wet

Sabienglae restaurants offer traditional fresh seafood and cuisine in an authentic southern Thai style.

Come and enjoy our unique dishes, many of which you won’t find elsewhere on the island, in a relaxing atmosphere. An experience to truly complete your holiday.

Sabeinglae Restaurant

The Wharf Samui, Fishermans’s Village For reservation please call 077 430 094-5 16 www.siamwininganddining.com

Hin Ta Hin Yai, Samui Ring Road For reservation please call 077 233 082-3

Wimaan Buri Resort, Chaweng Ring Road For reservation please call 077 962 333

Romance at the Table Chef’s Table restaurant at Sareeraya will tempt you in more ways than one!

It’s almost a fact! It’s a thing that gets said again and again, so it has to be true. An unwritten law – on Samui at least. And it goes like this: ‘for each one you can see, there’s a better one you can’t’. Restaurants, of course; we’re talking restaurants. There are two very good reasons for this. Firstly, just strolling about, you’ll see them everywhere. There are hundreds, all out in plain view. So what do they do? They try to look pretty. Every one of them is after your cash, so they try to tempt you in with fairy lights and glowing nooks and corners, wondrous displays and even a dancing girl or two. But what you can’t see, (and once you’re inside it doesn’t matter anyway) is the standard of the service and the quality of the food.

And the second reason? Simply that nearly all the best eateries on our isle belong to the resorts. Every good resort now has a signature restaurant that they’ve invested in, and of which they’re rightly proud. This is where you’ll find the top international chefs, not out there on the street. This is where the staff are hand-picked and then trained on an ongoing basis. This is where you’ll discover the finest of cuisine. And ‘this’ also is what you’re just not able to see – there’s a resort in the way! Such as with, for instance, Chef’s Table. And it’s sitting there right on the edge of the sand, inside that gentile and

up-market resort that’s known as ‘Sareeraya Villas & Suites’, in the northern part of Chaweng.

carved curves. The furniture is strong, dark, and geometric. It’s cool and shady and open on two sides, and with a whirling array of overhead fans keeping everyone cool.

Sareeraya isn’t the newest of kids on the block, having opened its doors just in time to catch the New Year’s festivities of 2009. And, although it’s positioned right on the main road, just across from Samui International Hospital, it’s not something which catches the eye. And deliberately so – it’s one of those luxurious but unassuming resorts that is content to understate its quality. The frontage is a high, plain grey wall with discrete gold titling. And the décor throughout follows this theme: not exactly minimalist, but with a simple and uncluttered elegance that’s offset by the sheer quality of the fittings and fixtures, and everywhere the subtle contrasts of rough-smooth, light-dark, geometric and flowing.

The menu is reassuringly International and Thai, with an insistence on prime cuts of imported meat from Australia, and an emphasis on seafood. This sounds much the same as many quality eateries. But it’s not just the ingredients which matter – it’s also how the chef handles them that’s important. And Executive Chef, Cesar Liesa, has a creative flair with sides and sauces that people travel a long way to enjoy.

He’s spent the last 22 years honing his culinary art in 5-star establishments with words such as ‘Marriott’ or ‘Shangri-La’ in their titles. His ‘Lobster with Vegetables, Red Caviar and Lemon Butter Sauce’ is a case in point, and is a signature dish.

The name Sareeraya means ‘Princess of the Sea’.

And this water-theme is all around, from the huge and shady sculptures at the entrance, to the terraced layers of cascading lily ponds that peep out at you as you pass, and the ever-present tinkling sounds of the rills and brooks that run down towards the pool and beachside restaurant, Chef’s Table. The main wall of this is pale stone but scored by deep

This is also to be found on one of the most-popular items, the Signature Set Menu (for two people) and a mini version is on the menu for the excellent Thursday Night ‘International Buffet Evening’. Both of these aspects are particularly worth a mention. There are four set menus, two featuring Thai cuisine and two, International. They’re all excellent, offering a choice of mains and including four courses, plus

two glasses of wine and tea or coffee to finish with.

But it’s the buffet-style theme evenings which represent exceptional value for the money, and also feature many of the prime dishes from the à la carte dining menu. This is a really sumptuous spread of all-you-can-eat gourmet food, laid out on the sand at the edge of the sea, with snowy-white cloths on the full-dress tables and a glowing row of hanging lanterns glimmering against the tropical backdrop. Thursday is the International Buffet. And every Monday there is the same approach and quality of ingredients, but this time featuring Thai cuisine. The food tables are a sight to be seen, groaning under the weight of the delicacies on offer, and with the hot items gleaming in stainless-steel heated servers. And on both evenings, items like kebabs, pad Thai, ribs or steaks are cooked à la minute, to your preference, at live cooking stations.

Chef Cesar, however, is particularly proud of the ‘Romantic Dinner on the Beach’ that he’s put together. Here, at Sareeraya, there’s a particularly fine location for this. The coastline to the left curves inwards, the twinkling lights of Chaweng Bay are reflected across the water to the right, and the foreground is filled with small

islands and fishing boats – truly idyllic. The table on the sand is private and secluded; a gazebo on the beach, garlanded with flowers and softly lit with candles. There’s your own private butler who attends unobtrusively and exclusively to you and you alone. There’s a choice of four different five-course menus, each with a choice of mains, and the price includes a complimentary glass of Kir Royal to begin with.

There was a time, not too long ago, where hotels saw their restaurants as merely eating sheds to feed their guests. Happily, that time has passed. Now their restaurants represent the pinnacle of culinary art, ‘signature’ in every way, and the best ones draw outside guests from far and wide. And that goes for whether you’re indulging in a convivial gourmet buffet or romancing at a private table in seclusion, away from the rest of the world!

Rob De Wet For reservations or further information, telephone 0 7791 4333. www.sareeraya.com

Relax@Samui Thai food - Seafood - European food Romantic atmosphere Private seaview cottages The best seaviews on Samui Bang Por Beach, Tel. 0 7760 2228

Take a bread cake and bakery Tel: 088 502 3112

Location: Samui Ring Road (nearly opposite Big C)

www.siamwininganddining.com 17

The Wine Page The sweet taste of dry German Riesling Riesling wine has a colourful German heritage, and suffered a bit of a bad reputation in the 1980’s. Today, however, Riesling has emerged as the most collectible white wine among top connoisseurs and sommeliers. And the best dry examples are becoming very sought after.

Like so many other fine wines, tasting a Riesling starts in your nose. It’s one of the most aromatic grape varieties in the world. The primary fruit aromas in Riesling are nectarine, apricot, honey-crisp apple and pear. Besides just fruit, you’ll often smell things like honeycomb, and even a chemical aroma similar to petrol. And believe it or not, it’s exactly these weird smells that wine enthusiasts go gaga over. Riesling is very high acid, almost to the level of a tart fruit juice, making it a superb wine to pair with subtle food flavours.

When choosing a hopefully sophisticated white wine of pedigree, to accompany a fish or seafood dish, I find myself drawn to the filigreed, finely etched Rieslings of the Mosel, as delicate as any wine I know. And unlike almost any other Riesling producing region, Germany has made a specialty of Rieslings with a touch of sweetness. I‘m not talking about the thrilling dessert wines that Riesling so famously lends itself to, which are great in their own right. No, I mean the luscious wines from the Mosel, and their bigger brothers from the Rhine, that have some residual sugar, but are so beautifully balanced that the overall impression is of exhilarating refreshment.

But as much as I love these styles of wines, lately I‘m craving dry German Rieslings. Dry? Many wine consumers assume all Rieslings are sweet. In fact, most Rieslings, whether from Austria, Alsace, Australia or the United States, are dry. Even more surprising is the fact that many German Rieslings are dry, too, and that the preference in Germany today (and for the last 20 years) has overwhelmingly been for the dryer varieties. And the most surprising thing, to me, is how delicious dry German Rieslings have become.

When I first encountered the German dry Rieslings from the Mosel and Rhine regions, a couple of decades or so ago, I was not so enamoured. So many of the dryer wines were tart and shrill, parching the mouth. Boy, how times change, now I am enchanted with dry Rieslings. Such as a Von der Fels from Keller in Rheinhessen, a wine that reveals and frames the great mineral soul of the Riesling grape, exalting it yet doing so gently without any of the sharp edges. The wine’s name means ‘from the rocks’, and is not even Keller‘s top dry Riesling, which is the hard-to-find G-Max, a special old-vine Cuvée. Then there is the light and racy Grey Slate Kabinett Trocken from Dönnhoff in the Nahe, which has all the wonderful delicacy of a

Manathai Koh Samui 18 www.siamwininganddining.com

Samui Ring Road

Lamai

Telephone 0 7745 8560-4

www.manathai.com

focused, pure Kabinett-level Riesling while offering a cloud of mineral aromas. And most surprising of all are the dry Rieslings from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, like the extraordinary Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Auslese Trocken, from Karthäuserhof, a mineral-laden wine that seemed impossibly light and delicate, rounded and perfectly balanced. In fact, just about every time I get the (all too rare) opportunity to drink a dry German Riesling I am struck by the high quality. How did they get so good?

One reason is a new generation of German winemakers, reared on dry wines, pursuing the style with thought and care. Oh, and global warming, which has made it possible to ripen grapes more fully in this extreme northern grape-growing region, hasn’t hurt. And most of the successes in marketing dry Rieslings have come in fine-dining restaurants, where sommeliers can explain to their customers exactly what a particular wine’s character is, and how it will complement their dishes. Part of the issue stems from the fact that German wine labels (intended to spell out with Teutonic precision what’s in the bottle) don’t seem to translate well. The words are long, foreign and sometimes in inscrutable typefaces. Others, in a misguided attempt to be modern, strip out so much information that consumers have no choice but to check the back label. But put simply, the key to German label terms to look for when shopping for dry Rieslings, are: Trocken - Dry. Wines can contain no more than nine grams of residual sugar (0.9%). At the high end of that range, some may show just a hint of sweetness, balanced by crisp acids. Halbtrocken - literally, half dry. With residual sugar of 1 to 1.8%, most tasters would describe these wines as just off dry. Feinherb - not an officially regulated term, but generally means that the wine approximates Halbtrocken in style.

Finally, so strong is the preference for dry wines in Germany this century, there is concern that the Rieslings with residual sugar will be crowded out. There are other sources for world-class dry Riesling, so why should Germany focus on being a member of an ensemble when with her table wines with residual sugar she is not only a soloist, but also an all-time great one? It‘s a good question, and the prospect of losing those wines should be cause for great concern. But I can‘t help but think that dry German Rieslings are singular in their own way, combining grace, delicacy and power in a way that nobody else’s dry Rieslings can do. One can only hope that the world’s taste for German Rieslings with residual sugar will keep those styles in business, even if Germany itself no longer cares.

Peter James

Opening Times 10am – 1am

Silavadee Pool Spa Resort

Silavadee Pool Spa Resort presents a wide range of restaurants and bars featuring a variety of cuisines to suit all tastes.

Premium cocktails and selected wines are also available in each outlet.

STAR

A stunning rooftop bar where you can sip our signature cocktails and enjoy some snacks while watching the sunset or gazing at the stars above.

Open: 17.00-23.30hrs.

The Height

Sun Deck

Wine and Cigar Lounge

Oering an extensive menu of delightful Thai cuisine, the restaurant has both air-conditioned and open air seating options, all with stunning views of the surrounding sea.

Open: 17.00-22.30hrs.

Exclusive dining on the deck with breathtaking views.Enjoy International delights in a romantic setting with your loved one. Please reserve in advance.

Refreshments, cocktails and snacks with a selection of premium wines and cigars to enjoy the breathtaking view.

Open:18.00-22.30hrs.

Open: 17.00-23.30hrs

Silavadee Pool Spa Resort 208/66 Moo4, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84310 Thailand Tel: (+66) 077 960 555 Fax: (+66) 077 960 055 www. Silavadeeresort.com www.siamwininganddining.com

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Rice Barge &

Terrace

Fine Beachside Dining at the Rice Barge & Terrace Authentic Thai Cuisine WEEKLY CALENDAR MONDAY - COWBOY DAY Cowboy Steak Night Buffet @ 1,129 Baht/person. Children half price Advance reservation discount 15% Costume Theme Night: Cowboy style will get 1 free bottle of beer Entertainment: The Barge Band TUESDAY - GRILLED NIGHT Lobster & Seafood Basket for 2 @ 3,500++ Steak Set for 2 @ 2,700++ or Seafood Set for 2 @ 2,700++ Entertainment: The Barge Trio Band WEDNESDAY - HAWAIIAN STYLE Hawaiian Seafood Buffet @ 1,290 Baht/person. Children half price Advance reservation discount 15% Entertainment: The Barge Band and Polynesian show THURSDAY - COCKTAILS DAY Lobster & Seafood Basket for 2 @ 3,500++ Steak Set for 2 @ 2,700++ or Seafood Set for 2 @ 2,700++ Free Flow Cocktails 5pm-7pm @ 950++/person/hour Entertainment: The Barge Trio Band EVERY DAY - FREE STYLE Thai Cooking Class & Bartender Master Class - Reservation required Happy Hours: Hillside Pool 1pm-3 pm. Beachside Pool 2pm-4 pm Lobby Lounge: 6pm-8pm. Rice Barge: 6pm-7pm. The Barge 9pm-10pm Private Dinner 3,500, 7,500, 8,500, 11,000 baht. Reservation required Free Flow Local Beer (Singha/Chang) @ 550++/person/hour Open Bar @ 650++/person/hour - Gin, Rum, Vodka, Red Label, Local Beer, Juice, Soft Drink Open Bar @ 850++/person/hour - Wine, Cocktails, Spirits, Local Beer, Juice, Soft Drink SATURDAY - WEEKEND DAY Chef Signature Food Set Menu 1,350 Food Only, 1,850 with Wine Pairing Entertainment: The Barge Trio SUNDAY - PASTA NIGHT Fresh Pasta and Pizza Corner and Salad Bar @ 550++/person

Rice Barge & Terrace Nora Buri's Signature Restaurant Chaweng North For Reservation Tel: 0 7791 3555 E-mail: ricebarge@noraburiresort.com www.noraburiresort.com

Chaweng Beach Road Chaweng North

It’s all happening at Nora Beach Resort & Spa Tuesday Night- Siam Kingdom Thai Night. We invite you to experience a variety of traditional Thai dishes.

Price THB 850 per person.

Thursday Night - East Meets West. Enjoy our chef’s special buffet creations. Price THB 950 net per person. Children 6-12 years old half price. Entertainment: Polynesian Show & Mariposa Duo. Thai Cooking Class Learn how to cook 3 authentic Thai dishes with our Thai Chef. Price THB 1,500 per person Inclusive of chef hat, apron, certificate and recipe.

Fruit Carving Class Price THB 1,500 per person. Inclusive of chef hat, apron and certificate.

Daily Happy Hour Beverages Special offer 50% off (Except wine, Corona beer, all spirits by the bottle) Pool Bar 1.00 pm - 2.00 pm & 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm. Prasuthon Restaurant 6.00 pm - 7.00 pm.

Lobby Bar 7.00 pm - 8.00 pm & 10.00 pm - 11.00 pm.

Romantic Private Dining Dining on the beach with private chef and waiter/waitress.

Thai menu THB 5,000 per couple.

International menu THB 6,000 per couple.

Advance reservation required

For further information please telephone 0 7742 9400 E-mail: reservation@norabeachresort.com www.norabeachresort.com

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